FAO at Rio +20

Oceans

1 June 2012 This document is a SUMMARY of “A Blueprint for Ocean and Coastal Sustainability”, an interagency paper that provides context for the Rio+20 discussions, through analysis of current challenges in ocean and coastal management around the world. [more]

1 June 2012 Marine fisheries are very important to the economy and well-being of coastal communities. Maintaining the long-term prosperity and sustainability of marine fisheries is not only of political and social significance but also of economic and ecological importance. This review presents an updated assessment of the current status of the world’s marine fishery resources. Its aim is to provide the FAO Committee on Fisheries, policy-makers, civil society, fishers and managers of world fishery resources with a comprehensive, objective and global review of the state of the living marine resources of the oceans. The review was based mainly on official catch statistics up until 2009 and relevant stock assessment and other complementary information available until 2010. [more]

1 June 2012 This document has been prepared by the Global Partnership Climate Change, Fisheries and Aquaculture (PaCFA) to support the process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in response to the need for concerted action on fisheries, aquaculture and climate change. [more]

1 June 2012 More than 500 million people depend directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Fish also provides essential nutrition for 3 billion people and at least 50 percent of animal protein and essential minerals for 400 million people in the poorest countries. However, climate change is creating huge challenges for a sector already facing serious threats from overfishing and poor management. The broader threat posed by climate change to development and food security is increasingly well recognized and is now a major local, national and international priority. [more]

1 June 2012 An overview of the current scientific knowledge available on climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture is provided through three technical papers that were presented and discussed during the Expert Workshop on Climate Change Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Rome, 7–9 April 2008). A summary of the workshop outcomes as well as key messages on impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and on fisheries- and aquaculture-based livelihoods are provided in the introduction of this Technical Paper. [more]

1 June 2012 It is often overlooked that more than 500 million people depend, directly or indirectly, on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. In addition, fish provides essential nutrition for about three billion people and is highly traded with more than 37 percent of production entering international trade 50 percent of the cost of their food imports (FAO, 2005). The world’s capture fisheries and the livelihoods they support (including in many least-developed countries [LDCs]) are already under threat from a range of factors. The majority of fisheries are considered to be already overexploited (FAO, 2011). The potential impacts of climate change on the sector in LDCs will further threaten the livelihoods and resources of a sector already in crisis. [more]

1 June 2012 The Pacific Island region consists of fourteen independent countries and eight territories located in the western and central Pacific Ocean. These comprise about 200 high islands and some 2 500 low islands and atolls. Coastal fishing is of fundamental importance in the Pacific Islands. Much of the region’s nutrition, welfare, culture, employment, and recreation are based on the living resources in the zone between the shoreline and the outer reefs. The continuation of current lifestyles, the opportunities for future development and food security are all highly dependent on coastal fisheries resources. [more]

1 June 2012 The importance of fisheries for coastal communities and livelihoods in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is well documented. This is particularly the case for coastal fisheries , including subsistence, traditional (artisanal) and advanced artisanal (or semi-industrial) varieties. There are, however, major gaps in knowledge about these fisheries, and major challenges in their assessment and management. Therein lies the key theme of this document, which seeks to contribute to a better understanding of coastal fisheries in the LAC region, as well as to generate discussion about ways to move towards sustainable fisheries. The document includes three main components. First, an introductory chapter provides an overview of general trends in the fisheries of the LAC countries, as well as some of the key challenges they are facing in terms of sustainability. Second, a set of twelve chapters each reporting on the coastal fisheries of one country in Latin America and the Caribbean, collectively covering fisheries of each main subregion: the Caribbean islands (Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago), North and Central America (Costa Rica, Mexico) and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay). All these country-specific chapters follow an integrated approach, to the extent possible, covering aspects ranging from the biological to the socio-economic. Third, the final component of the document contains a synthesis of information from the countries examined, an analysis of the main issues and challenges faced by the various fisheries, an outline of policy directions to improve fisheries management systems in the LAC region, identification of routes toward more integrated approaches for coastal fisheries management, and recommendations for ways forward. in dealing with fishery assessment and governance issues in the region. [more]

1 June 2012 The need for effective governance of the marine protected areas (MPAs) in leastdeveloped countries (LDCs) is commensurate with the significant territorial stakes raised by their extensive maritime domain. Another significant challenge is the conservation of biodiversity and of ecosystems whose level of productivity is similar to that of coral reefs (e.g. in East Africa and Madagascar, the Red Sea, Maldives, Cambodia, and South Pacific islands), upwelling systems (e.g. in West Africa and Angola) and estuarine and delta ecosystems (e.g. in West and East Africa, Bangladesh and Myanmar). However, the overriding issue is to reconcile conservation and human presence as, in LDCs, human activities are tolerated in almost all MPAs covered by International Union for Conservation of Nature categories II–VI. Finally, issues related to identity claims and to the process of establishment of property and other legal entitlements on nature are gaining importance. [more]

1 June 2012 This document presents case studies of the policy, governance and institutional issues of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Brazil, India, Palau and Senegal. It is the first of four in a global series of case studies on MPAs. An initial volume provides a synthesis and analysis of all the studies. The set of global MPA case studies was designed to close a deficit in information on the governance of MPAs and spatial management tools, within both fisheries management and biodiversity conservation contexts. The studies examine governance opportunities in and constraints on the use of spatial management measures at the national level. They were also designed to inform implementation of the FAO Technical Guidelines on marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries, which were developed to provide information and guidance on the use of MPAs in the context of fisheries. [more]

1 June 2012 This document provides a global overview of beach seine fisheries and identifies key issues relevant for the responsible use of beach seines and the sustainable livelihoods of beach seine fishers. It also gives guidelines for fisheries managers and other stakeholders on how best to address the issues of management processes and measures, which have the mutually beneficial goals of restoring and conserving the health of fishery resources and their habitats and safeguarding the livelihoods of fishers and their communities. The document draws on the findings of case studies coordinated and funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in the Gambia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru and Sri Lanka, and by the FAO/United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) Sustainable Fisheries Livelihoods Programme (SFLP) in Benin, Ghana and Togo. In addition to the findings of the case studies, other studies and publications on beach seines were reviewed and used for the preparation of this document. [more]